Services

Once the IRS places a tax levy on your property, you need to pay in full or suffer the consequences of an IRS asset seizure. Asset seizure means that the IRS will retain ownership of your property, be it your vehicle, house, or other personal property, and will sell it at auction. Proceeds from the sale will go towards settling your tax debt.

You do have a thirty day window of opportunity after being sent a notice of a tax levy before the IRS can seize your property. If you cannot pay in full, this thirty day period is the time to find a solution to your tax debt problem before your assets are subject to seizure. There are a few options to satisfy your debt without asset seizure:

Pay your debt in installments

You can negotiate a payment plan with the IRS if you are not able to pay your tax debt in full. A monthly payment made until you pay off your tax debt, sometimes for a settlement amount that is less than you originally owed, can help you avoid asset seizure.

Settle your tax debt for less

If you are able to prove to the IRS that paying your back taxes in full is financially impossible for you, it may be possible to negotiate a settlement of your tax debt for less than you owe.Temporarily suspend collection efforts

The IRS is aware that some taxpayers are experiencing financial difficulty, and cannot possibly pay their tax debt. If you are unemployed or underemployed, you may be eligible to be placed on the IRS's Currently Not Collectible list. Once placed on this list, the IRS will temporarily stop all attempts to collect your tax debt. It is required that you periodically re-qualify for the list.

Have you received an IRS audit notice? While millions of taxpayers are audited every year, the concept that the IRS would like to take a closer look at your taxes can be nerve-wracking.

Even taxpayers that have nothing to worry about because they have filed their taxes in a timely and honest manner may be frightened of an impending IRS audit. Hiring a tax resolution company like Top Tax Defenders for audit representations can help ease the anxiety of an IRS tax audit.

It is important to note that not all audits are done face-to-face; in fact, the majority of IRS audits are correspondence audits, done through the mail. Even if you have not been selected for a face-to-face audit, audit representations by Defend Tax Payer help you assure that you are filling out additional paperwork completely and correctly, an important step to the audit process.

What will the IRS expect during an audit?

You will be notified of what documentation the IRS would like beforehand, so that you may prepare for a face-to-face meeting, or fill out correspondence audit paperwork. The IRS may be examining the entirety of your return, or they may only want clarification for a specific part of the return. For example, if you own a small business and have been continuously reporting a loss, and therefore no tax liability, for the business, the IRS may want further proof of your losses. This could include everything from rent receipts and utility statements, to a detailed record of customer billings.

Most audits end in a change to the return. This could be in favor of the taxpayer, or the IRS; the IRS does not necessarily target taxpayers that may owe them more money. You could walk away from an IRS audit being owed additional tax refund money.

While only about one percent of taxpayers are audited per year, you may find yourself in that minority. Instead of going through the stressful process of an IRS audit alone, seek audit representation from an experienced tax firm. Defend Tax Payer has 45 years of combined experience with the IRS, and knows what to expect from an audit.

Even the IRS understands that a person may be the innocent victim of a spouse’s improper activities regarding a joint tax return. Unreported income and improper deductions or credits by one spouse may put the innocent spouse at risk of paying additional tax, interest and penalties.

If you have been victimized by a current or former spouse, the IRS offers you the opportunity to ask for innocent spouse relief. Defend Tax Payer has 35 years of experience working with IRS to know how to present the application and proof required to support the innocent spouse relief application.

Who Qualifies for Innocent Spouse Relief?

IRS guidelines require that you meet the following conditions in order to request innocent spouse relief:

The return you filed must have been a joint tax return.

The joint return included an understated tax.

The understated tax was due to unreported income or incorrect deductions, credit or tax basis.

It would be unfair, under all the facts and circumstances, to hold you responsible for the understated tax.

When to File the Application

You have two years from when you become aware that the IRS is attempting to collect additional tax to file the application for innocent spouse relief.

Prove Collection from You is Unfair

Defend Tax Payer knows that factors such as divorce or separation from your spouse or your spouse’s abandonment of you can help establish that it would be unfair for you to be held responsible for the understated tax and any penalties or interest.

Defend Tax Payer team of experts will use their knowledge of innocent spouse relief guidelines to help you prepare your presentation of the facts and circumstances in support of your request for relief and your lack of knowledge of the actions of your spouse concerning the joint tax return.

Partial Innocent Spouse Relief

Just because you were aware that your joint tax return included an erroneous item does not preclude you from receiving partial innocent spouse relief. For example, you and your spouse filed a joint tax return in which your spouse’s income was understated by $10,000. You later discover that the actual understated income was $50,000. If you can prove you were unaware of the additional $40,000 in income, the IRS may grant you innocent spouse relief on the tax, penalties and interest due on the $40,000.

Contact Defend Tax Payer

Defend Tax Payer has the experience and knowledge to help you pursue your application for innocent spouse relief, including:

The IRS will determine how much you can afford to pay based on your income and expenses, and will also determine the time frame for the plan depending on how much of your debt you can afford to pay off monthly. Depending on your situation, it may even be possible for the IRS to settle the total amount you owe for less, meaning less time making monthly tax payments.

Setting up a payment plan with the IRS means a stop to any collection phone calls, mailings, or visits from IRS revenue officers. If you make timely payments, you will not be in danger of receiving a levy or lien on your personal property. However, it is important to note that you will be paying interest on the balance of your tax debt, and the IRS will continue to assess penalties until your debt is paid in full.

To stay on your payment plan with the IRS, you must file your taxes in compliance with federal tax regulations in all future years.

If you are struggling with tax debt, and need to set up a payment plan with the IRS to pay off your debt, you need the experienced team at Defend Tax Payer your side. Defend Tax Payer of experience has over 45 years dealing with the IRS, and knows how to get you set up with an installment plan that you can afford.

IRS revenue officers are highly trained government employees that specialize in the collection of back taxes. If you owe back taxes, you will likely become familiar with the revenue officer in your region that is assigned to your case. IRS revenue officers have the authority to send notices, issue levies and liens, make collection calls, and visit your home or place of work in an attempt to collect back taxes. Should you already have a lien or levy on your property, revenue officers have the right to seize your property after appropriate notice.

The goal of an IRS revenue officer is to force the taxpayer into compliance, meaning that all back taxes are filed, and taxes owed plus assessed penalties are paid in full. It is the job of the officer to attempt to get the taxpayer to pay for their taxes in full instead of for a settled amount.

Since IRS revenue officers are skilled at aggressively pursuing taxpayers, you will want to get IRS revenue officer help from a tax firm as soon as you are contacted by an officer. By seeking the services of Defend Tax Payer, you will create a buffer of experienced tax professionals between you and the IRS revenue officer. Instead of having the officer come to your home or place of business, hiring Defend Tax Payer to represent you means that the officer will have to go through them instead of coming directly to you.

One of the most powerful tools a revenue officer can employ is intimidation. Although officers are required to treat you with respect and give you sufficient notice when placing a levy, lien, or seizing your assets, there are officers that do not comply with these requirements. Being verbally abused or swayed into believing that your tax debts must be paid in full immediately is overwhelming, and can be avoided by using the services of Defend Tax Payer.

If an IRS revenue officer has contacted you, it's time to get IRS revenue officer help from the professionals at Defend Tax Payer. The team at Defend Tax Payer knows the tricks that revenue officers sometimes use, and can help you understand the truth of your situation. Not only will Defend Tax Payer communicate with the officer for you, but they can help you settle your tax debt for less than you owe, taking care of your IRS problems permanently.

Owe back taxes to the IRS and can't afford to pay the amount in full? Many people believe that the IRS will not work with taxpayers, and that the only way you can get out of tax debt is to pay your debt in full. However, it is possible to set up a payment plan with the IRS, making monthly installments on your debt.

How can you start a payment plan with the IRS? The first thing you will have to do is file all of your past tax returns, so that your filings are up to date. Once you have done this, you will be able to ask the IRS to set up an installment plan for you to pay off your delinquent tax debt and any associated penalties.

IRS Installment Agreements

The IRS will determine how much you can afford to pay based on your income and expenses, and will also determine the time frame for the plan depending on how much of your debt you can afford to pay off monthly. Depending on your situation, it may even be possible for the IRS to settle the total amount you owe for less, meaning less time making monthly tax payments.

Setting up a payment plan with the IRS means a stop to any collection phone calls, mailings, or visits from IRS revenue officers. If you make timely payments, you will not be in danger of receiving a levy or lien on your personal property. However, it is important to note that you will be paying interest on the balance of your tax debt, and the IRS will continue to assess penalties until your debt is paid in full.

To stay on your payment plan with the IRS, you must file your taxes in compliance with federal tax regulations in all future years.

If you are struggling with tax debt, and need to set up a payment plan with the IRS to pay off your debt, you need the experienced team at Defend Tax Payer on your side. Defend Tax Payer has over 45 years of experience dealing with the IRS, and knows how to get you set up with an installment plan that you can afford.

If you owe back taxes to the IRS and cannot afford to pay them, you may be eligible to participate in an IRS program known as "Offer in Compromise." Much like a debt settlement program for consumer credit debt, the Offer in Compromise program allows taxpayers to settle their tax debt for much less than they owe.

Why would the IRS allow you to pay them less that you owe in back taxes?

If your tax debt is seriously delinquent, the IRS likely assumes that they will not be able to collect on the debt. This is especially true if you do not have any significant property that they can place a lien or levy on, meaning that the IRS is faced with the choice between continuing to receive nothing, or receiving a small amount of money.

What's in it for you?

If you owe the IRS back taxes, but have not yet been contacted by an IRS revenue officer, you may think that your tax delinquency is going unnoticed and you do not have to pay your bill. Nothing can be further from the truth. The IRS can and will make every attempt to collect the debt, including putting a levy or lien on your vehicle, home, or other property. Instead of letting your home become subject to IRS seizure, you can negotiate your bill down through the Offer in Compromise program.

The Offer in Compromise program can help you settle your tax debt for pennies on the dollar. Research has found that program participants typically pay less than 20% of the original amount they owed to the IRS, and the full debt is forgiven upon payment. Instead of living in fear of having the IRS take your car or even your home to satisfy your tax debt, satisfy your debt for less with an Offer in Compromise.

If you're interested in settling your tax debt for less through the Offer in Compromise program, you need the help of an experienced tax resolution firm to navigate the process. Defend Tax Payer has 45 years of combined experience working with the IRS to help clients find a solution to their tax problems, including negotiating debt down through an Offer in Compromise

Do you think that because you are a small business owner you do not have to withhold taxes from your employees' paychecks? Are you under the impression that the IRS will not notice the failure to remit tax payments? Even if the IRS does not immediately contact you regarding a failure to properly pay taxes, you can be sure that they do notice and you will suffer the consequences eventually.

Every business must remit payroll taxes to the IRS quarterly, after withholding the taxes from every paycheck. Tax payments are due in March, June, September, and December. As a business owner, you are responsible for determining the appropriate amounts of federal income tax, Medicare, and social security tax to withhold from employee paychecks.

Payroll Tax Help

As with failure to pay individual taxes, failure to pay payroll taxes will result in penalties, interest on back taxes, and having to deal with IRS collections. Even failing to pay payroll taxes on a quarterly basis can mean large penalties, even if you are withholding the taxes appropriately and were planning to make an annual payment. Penalties quickly add up, making it more difficult to catch up with back tax payments.

If you have failed to remit your payroll taxes to the IRS, your personal property may be at stake. Provided you are a business owner, and the IRS finds you personally responsible for the failure to pay taxes, they may issue a lien or levy on your personal property. Not paying payroll taxes for your business could even lead to losing your home if you do not catch up with payments in a timely manner.

Even if you have not yet received a notice from the IRS regarding back payroll taxes, you should hire a professional tax resolution company and bring your taxes up to date as soon as possible. You can avoid the negative consequences of dealing with IRS collections if you take care of the problem as soon as possible. If you've already been pursued by the IRS for collection of payroll taxes, you can get help from the professionals at Defend Tax Payer. When you need a tax firm with experience helping clients solve their IRS tax problems, Defend Tax Payer can help you take care of the problem before it gets worse.

Owe back taxes and think the IRS doesn't realize it? If you continue to ignore the problem, you will eventually end up with the IRS placing a Federal Tax Lien on your property, typically including your home.

A Federal Tax Lien means that the IRS has the right to seize the property if you fail to pay your back taxes. Continue to ignore your tax debt, and you will receive a notice that the IRS is demanding immediate payment, or your property will be seized. Once you receive this notice, you'll either pay within the specified time, or your property, including your house, can be seized and auctioned off to satisfy your debt.

IRS Tax Lien Help

Having the Federal Tax Lien removed is the only way you can assure that your personal property will not be seized. The simplest way of removing tax liens is by paying in full. Thirty days after payment is received, the lien is removed. If cash is paid, the lien is immediately removed.

What if you cannot afford to pay your back taxes in full?

Removing tax liens is possible if the IRS did not file in accordance with regulations, if removing tax liens speeds up collections, or if removing tax liens will be in the best interest of both parties.

Removing tax liens is also possible by appealing the lien. The IRS must notify you of the lien within five days of filing a Federal Tax Lien. There are a few reasons to appeal a Federal Tax Lien:

The debt was already paid in full.

The IRS filed a Federal Tax Lien while the taxpayer was undergoing bankruptcy proceedings.

The IRS did not follow procedures when filing the Federal Tax Lien.

The statute of limitations for tax debt collection, which is generally ten years, has expired.

The IRS did not give the taxpayer a chance to dispute the Federal Tax Lien.

If you have a Federal Tax Lien on your property, or are in danger of receiving one, you need the experienced professionals at Defend Tax Payer on your side. With over 45 years of experience resolving tax problems with the IRS. Defend Tax Payer can help you resolve your tax problems.

If you owe back taxes to the IRS, you may be in danger of receiving a tax levy on your bank account. Once the IRS places a tax levy on your bank account, the bank will be required to immediately freeze your assets, meaning you will have no access to your account. You have 21 days from the placing of the tax levy to pay your back taxes in full. Fail to do so, and your bank will be obligated to send the money in your account to the IRS.

Stop IRS Bank Levies

A bank account levy is not the only type that the IRS can place. A levy can be placed on any of your property, including your home or vehicle. The levy means that the IRS is seizing the title to the property, and will retain the property should you fail to pay your back taxes in a timely manner.

You will have a ten day notice before a levy is placed. If you can pay your back taxes in full, this ten day period is the time to do so. If you cannot, you can remove a levy by filing for a Stay of Collections. A Stay of Collections will give you up to ninety days to find a solution to your tax debt problem

What if you cannot afford to pay your back taxes in full?

If you cannot afford to pay your back taxes, it is possible to remove a tax levy and return to good terms with the IRS. Making payments to the IRS in installments can help you catch up with your tax bill, and it is even possible to settle the debt for less than you owe and make payments on the lowered amount. Can't pay your tax bill at all due to economic hardship? You may be eligible to be placed on the IRS's Currently Not Collectible list, which temporarily stops any IRS attempt to collect, including the placing of a tax levy.

If you need to remove a tax levy, the first step is to hire a tax firm experienced at working with the IRS. Defend Tax Payer has decades of experience fighting the IRS for their clients. Defend Tax Payer has the knowledge of IRS policy and procedure, and can aggressively pursue a settlement for your tax debt.

If you need to settle back taxes with the IRS, you're not alone. Millions of people owe back taxes, and, like you, many of them live in fear of the repercussions. The first step you can take to settle back taxes is contacting the IRS before they contact you. Many people believe that is impossible to negotiate with the IRS, but there is hope.

Settle your total tax debt for less

If you contact the IRS and file your back taxes, you may be eligible to settle back taxes for a fraction of what you owe under the Offer In Compromise program.

Reduce tax penalties

Penalties on your tax delinquency add up. Proving to the IRS that you cannot pay these penalties can mean a reduction in the total amount due. Keep in mind, however, that interest on such penalties will not be forgiven.

Avoid collections during economic hardship

If you've fallen on hard times, you can have the IRS place you on a temporary Currently Not Collectible list. While you're on the list, the IRS will not contact you for collection purposes. Periodically, you will need to prove your situation and re-qualify for the Currently Not Collectible list.

Pay in installments

Don't qualify for the Offer In Compromise or Currently Not Collectible programs, but can't pay your back taxes in full? The IRS can offer a payment plan for you, so that you can make monthly payments on your tax bill rather than pay one large lump sum. Sometimes the IRS will even allow the total payments to be less than your total tax obligation.

Pay in full

The IRS determines all of your property and investments available, including your vehicle, home, and retirement accounts, to decide whether they feel you can pay your back taxes in full. You may be required to sell personal property, take out a home equity loan, or borrow from your retirement fund to settle your tax debt.

Whatever your method to settle back taxes, you need an experienced firm on your side. Defend Tax Payer has that experience:

Owing back taxes to the IRS often ends up in wage garnishment. The IRS will send a notice to your employer letting them know that you owe back taxes, and that your employer must now withhold a certain amount from your paycheck and remit it to the IRS.

How much can the IRS take?

If you're filing as single and have one exemption, the IRS can take all but $365.38 of your biweekly paycheck. If you're married, filing jointly, and have a child, bringing your exemptions to three, the IRS can take all but $873.08 from your biweekly paycheck. With a wage garnishment leaving you with barely enough to cover your mortgage payments, it's clearly important for you to stop wage garnishments before they start.

How can you stop wage garnishments?

An experienced tax firm like Defend Tax Payer can negotiate with the IRS, establishing an installment plan instead of wage garnishment. Under an installment plan, you'll be expected to make monthly payments of a set amount, usually much less than wage garnishment amounts. It is even possible to settle your tax debt for less than you owe under an installment plan, meaning you'll be done paying off your debt sooner.

If you've fallen on hard economic times and cannot possibly make payments to the IRS at this time, you may be eligible to be placed on the IRS's Currently Not Collectible list. This means a temporary end to IRS collection efforts, including mailings and phone calls. Periodically, you will be expected to re-qualify for Currently Not Collectible status.

The best way to stop wage garnishments is with an experience tax firm on your side, guiding you through the process. Call Defend Tax Payer as soon as you receive a wage garnishment notice, and you can stop wage garnishments and keep the paycheck you need to pay your bills. Top Tax Defenders takes fighting for their clients seriously, and offers a firm with experience:

Proven success reducing client's tax debts

More than 45 years of experience helping clients settle their back taxes

If you're seeking tax preparation help, it may be beneficial to employ the services of a certified public accountant (CPA). CPAs have specialized training and education in the field of accounting, and some focus entirely on individual tax returns. If you have a typical tax return situation, it's often in your best interest to hire a CPA for tax preparation help.

What if you do not have a typical situation?

What if you are having problems with the IRS, and need help? While a CPA is ideal for the typical taxpayer, finding a professional that has experience in dealing with the IRS is important if you are having tax problems.

If the IRS has started collections proceedings against you, it's likely that a CPA or tax attorney will not be knowledgeable enough to help you out of your situation. You need someone that has experience specifically dealing with the IRS when the IRS is acting in a collections capacity. Tax preparation is very different than tax collections, and each aspect of tax code has complicated regulations. CPAs are experts in tax preparation, but cannot necessarily help you if you have problems with the IRS due to failure to file in previous years, or a failure to pay a tax debt owed to the IRS.

So, who can help you if you've already received a collection notice from the IRS?

If you need tax preparation help for back taxes, a tax firm like Defend Tax Payer can help you bring your filings up to date and work with the IRS to find a solution to your problem.

Defend Tax Payer can help you get out of tax debt, whether that means paying your debt in monthly installments, settling your debt for less, or waiting out tough economic times on the Currently Not Collectible list. Defend Tax Payer has the experience and expertise you're looking for in a tax firm:

Over 45 years of tax experience

Proven methods for pursuing the IRS for a solution to the client's tax problems

Unfiled tax returns are a serious offense in the eyes of the IRS, and can lead to mounting debt as back taxes and fines pile up. The IRS will not stop the collections process until all unfiled tax returns have been filed, and you have paid back all money due. If you continue to fail to file your taxes, the IRS will place a levy on your wages.

The IRS knows you haven't filed

If you have unfiled tax returns, the best way to stay out of trouble with the IRS is to immediately file your back taxes. Think that the IRS doesn't notice your unfiled tax returns? Think again. Even if it's been years since the unfiled taxes, the IRS can notify you at any time that they know and are ready to aggressively pursue back tax payments.

File for yourself before the IRS can file for you

When you fail to act before the IRS does, they will file a substitute for return (SFR) for you. An SFR is based on the IRS's best guess of your income, and will have penalties and fines tacked onto your tax bill. There is no chance for deductions on an SFR, so it makes sense to file your back taxes before the IRS has a chance to file an SFR for you.

Unfiled tax returns are a crime

Unfiled tax returns have criminal consequences, as well. If you fail to file, you can be sure that the IRS will eventually criminally prosecute you. Claiming an inability to pay for your tax bill is unacceptable to the IRS; they will assess fines and penalties on top of what you originally owed if you fail to file your tax return.

Were you owed a refund? Not anymore

Were you owed a refund in a year that you had unfiled tax returns? After the three year statute of limitations, the U.S. Treasury retains ownership of your refund, and overpayments cannot be applied to other years. In other words, failing to file taxes will never make your situation better, only worse.

Put Defend Tax Payer in your corner

If you have IRS tax problems because of unfiled tax returns, Defend Tax Payer can help you. Defend Tax Payer boasts experience and expertise, including:

Over 45 years of IRS tax relief experience

Internal, proven methods developed over years of experience fighting for the client against the IRS